Van Trump Park — Tuesday, Jun. 19, 2018

Today I hiked up to Comet Falls, and after reaching it, I decided to head up to Van Trump Park. The trail all the way to Comet Falls only has a tiny amount of snow on it. The trail to Van Trump Park is an entirely different beast. The first two switchbacks of the trail to Van Trump are snow-free, but after that the trail is buried under snow and difficult to locate. I went up because I am very familiar with the trail, however those that are unfamiliar or do not have navigation tools should not attempt this trail yet. Whether you stay on trail or not, there are a couple stream crossings covered with quickly melting snow bridges. I found microspikes to be very helpful in descending from Van Trump Park, though they weren't necessary to head up. Beware of postholing into trees that are buried in the snow, as well as surprise visits to the buried stream. I would wait another two weeks to attempt this trail, if only so that we can protect the plants growing under the snow from too many people going trail. Also, by that time, many of the hazards of snow bridges may be lessened.